Severe Psychosocial Compromise in Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia: Case Report

Objective.  This article describes a 60‐year‐old man with 17 years of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) which affected tooth brushing for 6 years, causing severe dental complications and psychosocial problems. Methods.  Case report. Results.  Following ITN diagnosis, this patient underwent neuro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) Mass.), 2010-03, Vol.11 (3), p.453-455
Main Authors: Siqueira, Silvia R. D. T., Teixeira, Manoel J., De Siqueira, José T. T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Humans
Male
Microcompression of the Trigeminal Ganglion
Middle Aged
Neurosurgical Procedures
Oral Hygiene
Paresthesia - etiology
Patient Care Team
Periodontal Disease
Periodontal Diseases - etiology
Psychosocial Deprivation
Psychosomatics
Recurrence
Tooth Diseases - etiology
Toothache
Toothbrushing
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia - complications
Trigeminal Neuralgia - psychology
Trigeminal Neuralgia - surgery
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective.  This article describes a 60‐year‐old man with 17 years of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) which affected tooth brushing for 6 years, causing severe dental complications and psychosocial problems. Methods.  Case report. Results.  Following ITN diagnosis, this patient underwent neurosurgery (microcompression of the trigeminal ganglion with a balloon) with immediate relief, but after three months, pain recurred and was accompanied by dysesthesia and periodontal disease. After dental treatment, he had complete alleviation of pain and no further need of medication over the following 3 years. The intense suffering of this patient represents the importance of a multidisciplinary evaluation for pain‐caused secondary complications. Conclusion.  ITN is a simple diagnosis but may have complex course. Appropriately trained health professionals are necessary to evaluate and treat these patients.
ISSN:1526-2375
1526-4637
DOI:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00813.x